Revival of Ku Klux Klan Reported at Annual Conference of Anti-defamation League

May 7, 1948

LOS ANGELES (May. 6)

The Ku Klux Klan is reappearing "under new names but with the same old viciousness," It was reported here today at the three-day conference of the Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith, attended by 500 delegates from all parts of the country.

Today’s session, which was devoted largely to problems of race hatred in Cities on the West Coast, heard a report from Milton A. Senn, regional director of the Anti-Defamation League, revealing that the Ku Klux Klan is very active in Southern California. The speaker emphasized that methods used by certain groups investigating subversive activities were "frightening away many liberals" from participating in the work of combating bigotry.

President Truman, in a message to the conference, lauded the activities of the Anti-Defamation League on the 35th anniversary of the organization. "In the troubled world of our time, we can hope to fulfill our destiny as a nation and as a people only if we are able to maintain our inner strength," the President wrote, "That strength will depend upon how well we preserve and enrich our democratic legacy. Citizen groups such as the Anti-Defamation League render an invaluable service in this regard."

Dore Schary, executive producer at RKO Studios and producer of the film "Crossfire," which deals with anti-Semitism in the U.S., last night told the parley that American Jews have a three-fold responsibility–as Americans, as Jews and as a people–with regard to solving race hate problems.

"In any community where there are race tensions," he asserted, "rabble-rousers invariably get around to the Jews as scope-goats. You can have no Jewish problem in a city where you do not have a Negro problem, a Mexican problem, a Japanese problem or any other minority problem. Violent anti-Semitism always goes hand in hand with anti-something else."